Here is an Office note: Office cat, by reason of death of rats, daily growing lean. Will Superintendent please increase the contingent allowance for her restoration to stoutness?" In announcing a death, native printers were responsible for the plea: 'Fiends are requested to accept the tutimation." The ston-s culled from English correspondence are generally old friends, as for instance, "Why did the priest and Levite pass' by on the other ride?7—Because they knew that he had been robbed already." But many of us vill find refreshment in the exclamation of "Lord—," when condoled with on a death: "Yes, that is th ce of growing old,—one loses all one's friends, d them We take the following extract from the Times of the Sth ult., in reference 0 the annual migration of the Indian Government toSimls Wedonot know that there was any urgent obligation which compelled the Viceroy of India to defend, in his reply to an address of welcome from the municipality of Simla, the anonol migration of the Anglo-Indian officials to the Hills. The attacks that are iodically made on this and other proceed ings of the Indian Government by the rhetoric cians of the ational Congress" and by a few British Radicals, who mistakenly imagine that they are the champions of an oppressed race, have been long ago discounted by practical men of all parties. These who have had the least direct knowledge of the facts of Indian administration are well aware that the transfer of the working departments: of the Government to the Hills from the sweltering climate of Calcutta during the hot season is not only a sanitary measure of vital importance hut is indispensable to the maintenance of official work at a high level of offici ud energy. the same At time, it th Curzon should state the in vivid and vigorous case Janguage, though, if be "spoke with the tongue of men and of angels," there are some critics in the Indian Press, and even in the House of Commons, whom it would be impossible to silence of to shame, It is useful, at any rate, to bring home to the minds of the British people the practical reasons which induce the Viceregal Government to migrate from the capital of our Indian Empire as the summer comes round and the practical vantages which justify that procedure. It must always be borne in mind that the Govern. ment of India is carried on by Europeans labouring under all the drawbacks of continuous and increasingly arduous labour in a tropical country. Perhaps, no city in the Empire is less' fitted for the seat of a far-reaching and hard-working Administration than Calcutta, which, in the past, has taken a heavy toll of the lives of devoted and energetic public servants. The question of the removal of the seat of the central Government to a healthier position has, in fact, been often discussed. But history has fixed the centre of Indian affairs at Calcutta, and, until some change has been brought about, as to which it would be premature at present to speculate, it must remain there."
Tue Bureau Veritas Monthly List, published on the Ist of April, of wrecks and casualties recorded in February last, announces that 89 sailing vessels were reported as totally lost; 36 by stranding, 6 by collision, 3 by fire; while 5 foundered, 12 were abandoned, 18 were condemned, and 9 were missing. No less than 216 sailing vessels were damaged; 40 by stranding, 48 by collision, 4 by fire, 28 by leaks, and 96 by stress of weather. The steamers totally lost were 44; 17 by stranding, 3 by collision, 2 by fire; while one foundered, 8 were abandoned, 15 were condemned, and 3 were missing. The steamers damaged were 394; 51 by strand-83 by collision, 10 by fire, 4 by lenks, 156 by stress of weather; while 90 reported injury to their engines or boilers, Brenor Tucwatt's letter in the Times of the 27th of March, referred to in Reuter's telegram this morning, is a long one, but the following extract contains the state-monte for which he las been indicted Licensed gin-shops and drinking saloons are being multiplied throughout the town, without any regard to the wishes or objections of the inhabitants of the districts affected, Drunkenness is greatly on the increase, not only nmougst the heathen and Mahommedans, hut amongst the better educated classes of Africans—e.g., Government officials, clerks, traders, etc.
The following ly the testimony of one of our native barristers who has lately been speaking upon the subj-et Habits of drinking spirits and drunkenness are greatly on the increase amongst the young men of our town, On all festive occasions brandy and whisky, and what are known as ' better-class spirits,' are largely consumed. In these days it is useless to call your friends, provide what delicacies you may, if you do not freely supply whisky, ote.; Without these things your entertainment is pronounced a failure. Indeed, nowadays you cannot call upon a friend or entertain 'a visitor without taking or offering drink.
Tencloae a price list which is being circulated through the town, calling attention to a further reduction of prices in spirits:—Whisky is quoted at 27s, 6d, per case of 12 bottles. Brandy is quoted at 18s, 6d. per case of 12 bottles.
Nor is the African the only victim of this iniquitous system. Of the deaths which occur amongst Europeans on the coast probably 75 per cent are to be attributed to babite of drinking at all hours of the day and drunkenness, these habits being directly fostered and encouraged by the cheap rate at which spirit can be purchased.
'An agent of one of the Lagos firms states:—A agent of o firm can obtain wines and spirits for his own consumption at cost price, no limit being placed upon the quantity' allowed; thus an agent can procure wines and spirits at 1s. 6d. per bottle." Many of those who come out are mero boys. They quickly contract habits of drinking, and are either invalided and senthomeordie. English traders seldom, if ever, meet at any hour in the day with: out indulging in spirits." Native clerks are becoming very much addicted to the same habit."
The following statement is from another English agent in Lagos "When I entered into an agreement with my firm in England T was under the impression that I should be called upon to trade in cotton goods, &e. I now find that I have to deal in spirits, und spirits constitute the bulk of the trade, The attention of young men in England should be directed to this. Had I' known the nature of the trade would not have entered into my agreement. Many, I believe, would decline to be bound upon such terms aa now exist Ihave recently concluded a journey of 1,000 miles, extending through a considerable portion of the diocese. At every centre, in response to my enquiries, ascertained that drunkenness is on the increase. In Ibadan, where the Balogun, a comparatively young man, died on February 2 from the effects of excessive drinking, the demand for spirits has greatly increased during the past 12 months.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.